Where does “above” come from?
Above comes from Middle English aboven, from Old English ābufan, combining Old English a with Proto-Germanic bi, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European upó meaning "over."
above (English): Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said...
Definitions
- Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said...
Ancestry of “above”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | aboven | above |
| 2 | Old English | ābufan | above |
| 3 | Old English | bufan | above |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *biobanā | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *obanā | from above |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ubanē | from above |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | upp | up, upwards |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | ub | under |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |